Third Saudi aide plane arrives in Lebanon

BEIRUT — The third Saudi plane carrying more than 200 ton of medical supplies, shelter kits, and food items for the victims of the Beirut port explosion arrived in the Lebanese capital on Saturday, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The move comes as part of the Kingdom’s air bridge initiative to provide humanitarian aid to Lebanon after a deadly explosion on Aug. 4 killed more than 150 people and injured 5,000 others.

The plane carried electronic intravenous pumps, emergency supplies, and various medicines including antibiotics and analgesics, protection materials, disinfectants, sterilizers, masks, intravenous solutions and pumping tubes, multiple medical supplies, various foodstuffs, shelter supplies such as tents, mattresses and blankets, and various cooking utensils and supplies.

The supplies were sent through Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief). The KSrelief team will follow up and supervise the distribution of the aid to ensure that it is delivered to those in need, according to SPA.

Two aid planes had landed in Beirut carrying medicines, devices, solutions, medical and emergency supplies, tents, shelter kits, and food items.

Several other aid planes are also expected to arrive in Lebanon from Saudi Arabia in the next few days.

The cause of the explosion in Beirut is still under investigation but initial reports indicated that 2,750 ton of the industrial chemical ammonium nitrate were stored in the warehouse that blew up.